The 13-time Premier League winners have stated that an extended absence from Europe's elite competition could damage their ability to recruit players and attract sponsors.

United, who finished seventh last season and will not play European football for the first time since 1989-90, signed a 10-year, 750 million-pound deal with adidas, who will take over as their kit manufacturer from the 2015-16 season.

But it will be cut by 30 percent per season from next year on any campaign in which they are not playing Champions League football, meaning that, instead of receiving 75 million pounds per year, United would only bank 52.5 million pounds.

The news came in the prospectus for the sale of 8,000 shares in the club on the New York Stock Exchange.

It read: "Because of the prestige associated with participating in the European competitions, particularly the Champions League, failure to qualify for any European competition, particularly for consecutive seasons, would negatively affect our ability to attract and retain talented players and coaching staff, as well as supporters, sponsors and other commercial partners.

"Failure to participate in the Champions League for two or more consecutive seasons would also reduce annual payments under the recently announced agreement with adidas by 30 percent of the applicable payment for the year in which the second or other consecutive season of non-participation falls."

The share issue will raise around 150 million dollars for United's owners, the Glazer family.